The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch

Story

Every day Mrs Grinling packs a delicious lunch for Mr Grinling and sends it to him on a wire they have ingeniously set up between their cottage and the lighthouse. Until one day greedy seagulls discover just how good Mrs Grinlings lunches are.

Why we chose it

A much loved picture book which has been in print for over 40 years. Children love the greedy seagulls and the detailed contents of the lunch basket.

Where it came from

On a trip to the beach with their children, the Armitages saw a wire which ran from the cliff to the lighthouse and their son wanted to know what it was for. David suggested it was for the lighthouse keeper’s lunch…

Where it went next

The Lighthouse Keepers Lunch has been successfully adapted for the stage. David Wood wrote a musical play based on the story which was first performed at the Oxford Playhouse in 2000 with two professional actors and a large cast of children drawn from local schools many of whom had never been inside a theatre before. It was also adapted in 2017 by Nicola Sangster and Gareth Cooper for the Pied Piper Theatre Company.

Associated stories

Mr and Mrs Grinling star in a number of other books including The Light House Keeper’s Catastrophe, The Lighthouse Keeper’s Rescue, The Lighthouse Keeper’s Picnic, and The Lighthouse Keeper’s Cat

Rhonda Armitage is the author of a number of books with different illustrators including A New Home for a Pirate with Holly Swain, The Small Knight and George books with Arthur Robins and A Mighty Bitey Creature with Nikki Dyson.